Too Much on Our Plait: Like Mother

Like Mother - 17

By Sunday evening, day five post-op, I think my bowels and I have made peace with each other…finally. I am starving for a regular meal. The kind of starving where everything starts to sound good, even things you never liked before. But I bit the bullet, threw caution to the wind, and all that brave stuff. I asked Merril to pick up a sour beef and dumplings dinner from Silver Spring Mining Company – a definite comfort food for me as it is as close to what my grandmother used to make as any recipe I have eaten. I managed one dumpling, a chunk of beef and some gravy—Yummy! Later, I had a day-old low fat brownie. I can finally eat and life is good again.

But that was yesterday.

Today, Janina (my oldest daughter) called at 8:30 a.m. to let me know that the endocrinologist wants to see her to discuss her thyroid biopsy results, so we went to his office. We weren’t totally shocked, but of course sadly disappointed, to find out that she too has thyroid cancer. WAIT A MINUTE!…I thought I said in an earlier post that I wasn’t willing to share my cancer. It’s mine, and I want all the attention. Benevolent Man upstairs, did you hear me??? I don’t want to share. Not anymore. Especially not with another one of my children. Especially not with Janina.

I talked about Janina in an earlier post. I could spend an hour telling you how wonderful she is, and if you asked me about her bad points, I would have nothing to say. There are none. She’s the kindest and strongest woman I know and I am confident that she will get through this ordeal. I would like to think that “the apple never falls far from the tree” theory applies to Janina and I, but I know better. She’s got it all over me. She’s my mentor and my rock.

Indeed 2010 started off with a bang. But, as families do, we’ll lean on each other, draw strength from each other, care for each other, and move forward -- to a large degree because we have no choice, but mostly because we want to.

Taking one step at a time towards a better tomorrow.

Read More 2 comments | Posted by Adelina and Dori |

2 comments

Anonymous on January 4, 2010 at 7:07 PM

So sorry to hear about the news today...Prayers as u know will go out to you and your family..LNM
Anonymous on January 5, 2010 at 4:54 AM

Very sorry to hear the aweful news. I love to hear about how you all lean on each other, you are an amazing family and I wish you all the best.

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Like Daughter, Like Mother: Our Thyroid Cancer Journey

Behind the Blog

Adelina is a full-time wife, mother, practice manager, and medical transcriptionist. After receiving an ultrasound and countless biopsies, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer on December 11, 2009. She successfully underwent surgery on December 29, 2009, and had her first radioactive iodine treatment in February 2010. Following treatment, Adelina now sees her doctor once a year for follow-up. She has been doing well, and refuses to let cancer slow her down.

Dori is 26 years old. She was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer at the age of 17 on June 1, 2006, just three days prior to her high school graduation. Dori endured two radioactive iodine treatments and two surgeries to remove her complete thyroid and 39 total lymph nodes from her neck. She is now under close watch by her doctors, and only time will tell if the cancer stays at bay.